LASER BEAM PROFILE MEASUREMENT DEVICE

Abstract

A laser beam profile measurement device includes: a plate-like or block-like fluorescence generation element including an incidence surface on which a laser light is incident and an emission surface from which the laser light is emitted; a light separation element for separating fluorescence from the laser light, the fluorescence generated in the fluorescence generation element and emitted from the emission surface; and an image element for receiving the fluorescence. The fluorescence generation element includes a first film formed on the incidence surface thereof. The first film has a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of transmitting a wavelength 1 of the laser light and reflecting a wavelength 2 of the fluorescence. The first film has a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of transmitting a wavelength 1 of the laser light and reflecting a wavelength 2 of the fluorescence. The light separation element may include a second film having a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of transmitting the wavelength 2 and reflecting the wavelength 1 or a third film having a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of reflecting the wavelength 2 and transmitting the wavelength 1. The first film may further have a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of reflecting a wavelength 0 between the wavelength 1 and the wavelength 2, while the second film may further have a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of reflecting the wavelength 0. Alternatively, the first film may further have the wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of reflecting the wavelength 0 between the wavelength 1 and the wavelength 2, while the third film may further have a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of transmitting the wavelength 0.

Claims

1. A laser beam profile measurement device for measurement of a two-dimensional profile of laser light, comprising: a plate-like or block-like fluorescence generation element including an incidence surface on which the laser light is incident, and an emission surface from which the laser light is emitted; a light separation element for separating fluorescence from the laser light, the fluorescence generated in the fluorescence generation element and emitted from the emission surface; and an image element for receiving the fluorescence, wherein the plate-like or block-like fluorescence generation element includes a first film formed on the incidence surface thereof, and the first film has a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of transmitting a wavelength 1 of the laser light and reflecting a wavelength 2 of the fluorescence.

2. The laser beam profile measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the first film has a reflectance of 70% or more at the wavelength 2 of the fluorescence.

3. The laser beam profile measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the first film has a reflectance of 90% or more at the wavelength 2 of the fluorescence.

4. The laser beam profile measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the light separation element includes a second film, and the second film has a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of transmitting the wavelength 2 of the fluorescence and reflecting the wavelength 1 of the laser light.

5. The laser beam profile measurement device according to claim 4, wherein the first film further has a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of reflecting a wavelength 0 between the wavelength 1 of the laser light and the wavelength 2 of the fluorescence, while the second film further has a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of reflecting the wavelength 0.

6. The laser beam profile measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the light separation element includes a third film, and the third film has a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of reflecting the wavelength 2 of the fluorescence and transmitting the wavelength 1 of the laser light.

7. The laser beam profile measurement device according to claim 6, wherein the first film further has a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of reflecting a wavelength 0 between the wavelength 1 of the laser light and the wavelength 2 of the fluorescence, while the third film further has a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic of transmitting the wavelength 0.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0039] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a laser-light reflection separation beam profiler of a laser beam profile measurement device according to the invention;

[0040] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an exemplary configuration of a laser-light transmission separation beam profiler of the laser beam profile measurement device according to the invention;

[0041] FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing functions of a first film S1 and a second film S2 or a third film S3 according to the invention;

[0042] FIG. 4 is a set of graphs showing exemplary wavelength-to-reflectance characteristics of the first film S1 and the second film S2 of the laser-light reflection separation beam profiler;

[0043] FIG. 5 is a set of graphs showing exemplary wavelength-to-reflectance characteristics of the first film S1 and the third film S3 of the laser-light transmission separation beam profiler;

[0044] FIG. 6 is a set of graphs showing more preferred exemplary wavelength-to-reflectance characteristics of the first film S1 and the second film S2 of the laser-light reflection separation beam profiler;

[0045] FIG. 7 is a set of graphs showing more preferred exemplary wavelength-to-reflectance characteristics of the first film S1 and the third film S3 of the laser-light transmission separation beam profiler;

[0046] FIG. 8 is a set of graphs showing even more preferred exemplary wavelength-to-reflectance characteristics of the first film S1 and the second film S2 of the laser-light reflection separation beam profiler;

[0047] FIG. 9 is a set of graphs showing even more preferred exemplary wavelength-to-reflectance characteristics of the first film S1 and the third film S3 of the laser-light transmission separation beam profiler; and

[0048] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a conventional example of a beam profile measurement method using fluorescence.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0049] Preferred embodiments of the laser beam profile measurement device according to the invention are specifically described as below based on the accompanying drawings thereof and with reference to plural examples of the laser beam profile measurement device.

[0050] Referring again to FIG. 1, an example of the laser beam profile measurement device according to the invention is described. As already mentioned above, FIG. 1 shows an exemplary configuration of a laser-light reflection separation beam profiler 100, particularly showing a positional relation of components of the device as seen from above. A fluorescence generation element 10 of the laser-light reflection separation beam profiler 100 has a cylindrical shape having a diameter of 10 mm and includes a fluorescent plate 1 and a support body 2. The fluorescent plate 1 is made of an Nd:YAG crystalline having Nd concentration of 1.0 at. % and a thickness of 0.2 mm. The support body 2 is made of Nd-free YAG crystalline having a thickness of 2 mm. Opposed surfaces (represented by a reference character 1b in FIG. 1) of the fluorescent plate 1 and the support body 2 are integrally joined together by thermocompression bonding without using a bonding agent. Since these components are made of the same base material YAG, the components do not encounter light reflection at an interface thereof due to different refraction indexes if these components are directly boded to each other. Also having the same thermal expansion rate, these components are less susceptible to failure such as deformation-induced separation of the fluorescent plate 1 from the support body 2 even when the fluorescent plate generates heat. As an example of the solution to the problem according to the invention, a dielectric film S1 is formed on a laser incidence surface 1a of the fluorescent plate 1. The dielectric film has a reflectance of 0.5% in a wavelength range of 800 nm to 900 nm of a laser light 12 principally assumed to be measured and a reflectance of 90% at a 1064 nm wavelength of the fluorescence generated in the fluorescent plate 1 and detected by an image sensor 8. As an example of the solution to the problem according to the invention, the first film S1 has a structure which is so designed as to have a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic shown in FIG. 8(A) where 1 is 800 nm, 0 is 950 nm and 2 is 1064 nm. On the other hand, formed on an opposite surface 2b of the support body 2 from the surface formed with the fluorescent plate 1 is a dielectric film (not shown) having a reflectance of 0.5% in a wide band from 800 nm to 1100 nm such that the laser light 12 and a fluorescence 13 generated in the fluorescent plate 1 are not reflected. A 45 prism 3 as the light separation element for separation between the laser light 12 and the fluorescence 13 is made of 15 mm-square quartz and is configured by combining two right angle prisms. Formed on an incidence surface 3a of the 45 prism 3 is a dielectric film (not shown) having a reflectance of 0.5% in a range of 800 nm to 1100 nm such that the laser light 12 and the generated fluorescence 13 are not reflected. Formed on a surface 3b inclined at 45 in the 45 prism 3 is a dielectric film having a reflectance of 99.7% to light at an incidence angle of 45 and in a wavelength range from 800 nm to 900 nm and having a reflectance of 3% at the wavelength of 1064 nm such as to transmit the fluorescence at the wavelength of 1064 nm. It is noted here that as an example of the solution to the problem according to the invention, the dielectric film S2 has a structure which is so designed as to have a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic shown in FIG. 8(B) where 1 is 808 nm, 0 is 950 nm and 2 is 1064 nm. Further, formed on a prism surface 3c from which the fluorescence 13 through the surface 3b is emitted is a dielectric film (not shown) having a reflectance of 0.5% at the wavelength of 1064 nm. Formed on a surface 3d of the 45 prism 3 from which the laser light 12 reflected at 45 by the surface 3b is emitted is a dielectric film (not shown) having a reflectance of 0.5% in a wavelength range from 800 nm to 900 nm.

[0051] In the laser-light reflection separation beam profiler 100 shown in FIG. 1, the laser light 12 of the wavelength of 808 nm, which is made incident thereon as an example of the laser light to be measured is transmitted through the fluorescent plate 1 and the support body 2 and reflected by the 45 prism 3 to be emitted to the outside of the device. A part of the laser light 12 transmitted through the fluorescent plate 1 is absorbed by the Nd:YAG of the fluorescent plate 1 where the absorbed light is subjected to energy-conversion such as to emit fluorescence around, the fluorescence having a central wavelength of 1 m proportional to the distribution of laser light intensity. Out of the emitted fluorescence, the 1064 nm fluorescence 13 penetrates through the 45 prism 3 and through an objective lens 4, a neutral density filter 5, a bandpass filter 6 and an imaging lens 7 to reach the CMOS image sensor 8. The objective lens 4 and imaging lens 7 are convex lenses which are made of optical glass known by the generic term BK7 and which both have a focal length of 50 mm. Formed on the surfaces of these lenses is a dielectric film (not shown) having a reflectance of 0.5% at 1064 nm. The fluorescent plate 1 is located at a focal point of the objective lens 4 while the CMOS image sensor 8 is located at a focal point of the imaging lens 7. In this configuration, a fluorescent image of the fluorescent plate 1 is formed at 1:1 on an acceptance surface (not shown) in the CMOS image sensor 8. The neutral density filter 5 has a transmittance of 10% at the wavelength of 1064 nm and so attenuates the fluorescence as to prevent the saturation of the CMOS image sensor 8. The CMOS image sensor 8 may be adjusted for proper sensitivity to light by removing the neutral density filter 5 if an incident laser light is so weak that fluorescence from the fluorescent plate 1 has low intensity, or by inserting more than one neutral density filter 5 if the laser light and the fluorescence have high intensities. The bandpass filter 6 has such a characteristic as to block light at wavelengths other than 1064 nm in order to prevent the light at wavelengths other than 1064 nm from reaching the CMOS image sensor 8. The bandpass filter 6 has a transmission wavelength interval of 10 nm, for example, at the wavelength of 1064 nm.

[0052] Now referring again to FIG. 2, description is made on another example of the laser beam profile measurement device according to the invention. As already described above, FIG. 2 shows the exemplary configuration of the laser-light transmission separation beam profiler 200, or particularly showing a positional relation of the components of the device as seen from above. A fluorescence generation element 30 of the laser-light transmission separation beam profiler 200 has an incidence surface defined by a 6 mm square prism and is essentially composed of a fluorescent plate 21 and a support body 22. A material of the fluorescent plate 21 is Nd:YAG translucent ceramics having an Nd concentration of 0.7 at. % and a thickness of 0.05 mm. A material of the support body 22 is Nd-free YAG translucent ceramics having a thickness of 2 mm. Opposed surfaces (represented by a reference character 21b in FIG. 2) of the fluorescent plate 21 and the support body 22 are integrally joined together by a low-temperature fusion boding method without using a bonding agent. As an example of the solution to the problem according to the invention, a dielectric film S1 is formed on an incidence surface 21a of the fluorescent plate 21. The dielectric film has a reflectance of 0.5% in a wavelength range of 800 nm to 900 nm of a laser light 32 assumed to be measured and a reflectance of 99% at a 1064 nm wavelength of the fluorescence generated in the fluorescent plate 21 and detected by the image sensor 8. As an example of the solution to the problem according to the invention, the first film S1 has a structure which is so designed as to have a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic shown in FIG. 9A where 1 is 800 nm, 0 is 950 nm and 2 is 1064 nm. Formed on the opposite surface 22b of the fluorescence generation element 30 from the surface formed with the fluorescent plate 21 is a dielectric film (not shown) having a reflectance of 0.5% in a wide band from 800 nm to 1100 nm such that the laser light 32 and a fluorescence 33 generated in the fluorescent plate 21 are not reflected. Formed on a surface 23a of the 45 mirror 23 is a dielectric film S3 having a reflectance of 99% to light at an incidence angle of 45 and in a wavelength range from 1000 nm to 1100 nm, and a reflectance of 0.3% in a wavelength range from 800 nm to 950 nm. As an example of the solution to the problem according to the invention, the dielectric film S3 has a structure which is so designed as to have a wavelength-to-reflectance characteristic shown in FIG. 9B where 1 is 800 nm, 0 is 950 nm, and 2 is 1064 nm.

[0053] In the laser-light reflection separation beam profiler 200 shown in FIG. 2, the laser light 32 of 808 nm made incident as an example of the wavelength of the laser light to be measured is transmitted through the fluorescent plate 21 and the support body 22 and further through the 45 mirror 23 so as to be emitted to the outside of the device. When transmitted through the fluorescent plate 21, a part of the laser light is absorbed by the Nd:YAG of the fluorescent plate 21 where the absorbed light is subjected to energy-conversion such as to emit fluorescence around, the fluorescence having a central wavelength of 1 m proportional to the distribution of laser light intensity. Out of the emitted fluorescence, a fluorescence 33 of 1064 nm is reflected by the 45 mirror 23 and reaches the CMOS image sensor 8 after transmitted through the objective lens 4, the neutral density filter 5, the bandpass filter 6 and the imaging lens 7. The objective lens 4 and imaging lens 7 are convex lenses made of quartz. The objective lens 4 has a focal length of 50 mm while the imaging lens 7 has a focal length of 100 mm. Faulted on the surfaces of these lenses is a dielectric film (not shown) having a reflectance of 0.5% at 1064 nm. The fluorescent plate 21 is located at a focal point of the objective lens 7 while the CMOS image sensor 8 is located at a focal point of the imaging lens 7. A fluorescent image of the fluorescent plate 21 is formed as magnified double-fold and visualized on an acceptance surface (not shown) in the CMOS image sensor 8. The neutral density filter 5 has a transmittance of 10% at the wavelength of 1064 nm and attenuates the fluorescence in order to prevent the saturation of the CMOS image sensor 8. The CMOS image sensor 8 may be adjusted for proper sensitivity to light by removing the neutral density filter 5 if an incident laser light is weak so that fluorescence from the fluorescent plate 21 has low intensity, or by inserting more than one neutral density filter 5 if the laser light and the fluorescence have high intensities. The bandpass filter 6 has such a characteristic as to block light at wavelengths other than 1064 nm in order to prevent the light at wavelengths other than 1064 nm from reaching the CMOS image sensor 8. The bandpass filter 6 has a transmission wavelength interval of 10 nm, for example, at the wavelength of 1064 nm.

[0054] In the above examples, TiO.sub.2, Ta.sub.2O.sub.5, HfO.sub.2, Nb.sub.2O.sub.3, ZrO.sub.2, MgF.sub.2, YF.sub.3, SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 and the like are preferably used as materials of the dielectric films S1, S2, S3 and the dielectric films formed on the surfaces of the fluorescence generation element, 45 prism, 45 mirror and convex lenses for controlling the reflectance to the wavelength. One or more of these materials for dielectrics may be used for forming a single layered thin film of a specific thickness (such as 0.5 m or less) or a multi-layered film formed by laminating multiple films of different materials in specific thicknesses on top of each other. This permits a desired reflectance in a particular wavelength range to be imparted to the foiled film. Examples of a method for forming the film include, but not particularly limited to: a vacuum deposition method where a material is heated in vacuo for depositing the material on the surface of an object; a sputter deposition method where a material is bombarded with ions of different material so as to eject the material for deposition on a surface of an object; and the like. What is important is to select an optimum material, an optimum film thickness and an optimum film forming method for obtaining a required reflectance in a required wavelength range.

[0055] While the above-described examples cite Nd:YAG as an example of the medium of the fluorescent plate, the scope of the invention is not limited to this in terms of the material of the fluorescent plate. Other usable materials are: Yb:YAG which absorbs lights of 940 nm and 970 nm and emits fluorescence of 1050 nm; Cr,Yb:YAG which includes Yb:YAG and Cr.sup.4+ ions added thereto for the purpose of shortening fluorescence life-span; Er:YAG which absorbs light near 785 nm or 1.5 m and emits fluorescence of 1.6 m or 2.9 m; Tm:YAG which absorbs light of 780 nm or 785 nm and emits fluorescence of 2.01 m; Ho:YAG which absorbs light near 1.9 m and emits fluorescence of 2.01 m; Cr, Tm, Ho:YAG which absorbs light near 780 nm and emits fluorescence of 2.08 m; and Ce:YAG which absorbs light near 350 nm or 450 nm and emits fluorescence of 550 nm. Further, Cr, Nd:YAG added with Cr.sup.3+ ions which absorbs light in visible light region and emits fluorescence of 1 m is also usable. The above-described light energy absorption wavelengths and fluorescence wavelengths are typical examples and any light energy absorption wavelength or any fluorescence wavelength may be selected from those intrinsic to the medium according to each object or specification. A fluorescence wavelength to be detected need not always be set to a fluorescence peak wavelength of the medium. In order to prevent stray laser light of wavelength close to the fluorescence peak wavelength, a transmission wavelength of a bandpass filter may be set such that the filter detects a fluorescent wavelength by way of a wavelength apart from the fluorescence peak wavelength. While the foregoing examples use YAG as the base material of the fluorescent plate and support body, the invention is not limited to this. Quartz and BK7 that are transparent may be used. Otherwise, Y.sub.2O.sub.3, Lu.sub.2O.sub.3, LuAG, YAP, Sc.sub.2O.sub.3, GGG, GSGG, YSGG, YSO and sapphire, which have higher heat conductivity than YAG, are also usable. The base material may be a single crystal or transparent ceramics. What is required is to select a medium capable of absorbing the wavelength of a laser light to be measured. The fluorescent plate and the support body may be joined together with a transparent bonding agent or otherwise, by means of optical contact where joined surfaces are polished with high accuracies and pressed against each other. From the viewpoint of bonding strength, however, thermal compression bonding for bonding the surfaces together at raised temperatures, diffusion bonding (high-temperature fusion) and low-temperature fusion are more preferred. To prevent the deformation of the fluorescent plate due to heat generation, the fluorescent plate and the support body may preferably be made of equivalent base materials having close expansion coefficients. However, if the fluorescent plate has a small heat value, the support body may be made of a different material from that of the fluorescent plate. For example, the base material of the fluorescent plate may be YAG and that of the support body may be sapphire having good heat conductivity. It is more desirable that the fluorescent plate has a small thickness to enhance measurement position accuracy with respect to the direction of optical axis of the beam. However, if the fluorescent plate is made thin, a transmission distance of the laser light is decreased so that the generated fluorescence is lowered in intensity. Therefore, a desired intensity of fluorescence may be obtained by increasing the additive amount of fluorescent element to the fluorescent plate.

[0056] The above description illustrates the example where the objective lens 4 and the imaging lens 7 having the same focal length are used to form the image of the fluorescent plate on the image sensor at a magnification ratio of 1:1 and the example where the imaging lens 7 having a different focal length from that of the objective lens is used to form the image on the image sensor 8 at a magnification ratio of 1:2. However, lenses having focal lengths other than the above may be used to project a magnified image or a minified image on the fluorescent plate onto the image sensor. Imaging optics may use three or more lenses and is not particularly limited. A reflecting mirror may be inserted in the above imaging optics to bend the optical path for the purpose of reducing the overall device size. The insertion positions of the neutral density filter and the bandpass filter are not limited to the above examples. The filters may be inserted anywhere in the imaging optics.

[0057] While the above examples illustrate the configuration where the neutral density filter and the bandpass filter are disposed in space between the objective lens and the imaging lens where the light intensity is the lowest. However, the neutral density filter and/or the bandpass filter may also be disposed at places different from the above. More than one neutral density filter or more than one bandpass filter may be employed, as needed. The type or attenuation rate of the neutral density filter, the transmission wavelength, transmission wavelength interval, transmittance and the like of the bandpass filter may be optimally selected on the basis of the laser light to be measured, specifications of the fluorescent plate and the like. The CMOS or CCD image sensor as the image element may employ a material such as Si, Ge, GaAs, InGaAs and InP which have suitable sensitivities at the wavelength of the fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent plate.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0058] The invention is applicable to a wide variety of devices having a function to measure the beam profile of the laser light.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0059] 10, 30: fluorescence generation element [0060] 1, 21: fluorescent plate [0061] 2, 22: support body [0062] 1a, 21a: laser-light incidence surface [0063] 1b, 21b: interface between fluorescent plate and support body [0064] S1: first film [0065] S2: second film [0066] S3: third film [0067] 12, 32: laser light [0068] 13, 33: fluorescence [0069] 3: 45 prism [0070] 4: objective lens [0071] 5: neutral density filter [0072] 6: bandpass filter [0073] 7: imaging lens [0074] 8: image sensor [0075] 1100: transparent block [0076] 1101: fluorescent body [0077] 1102: interface [0078] 1103: laser light [0079] 1105: filter [0080] 1106: camera